The Khaki Boys over the Top eBook

There were so many sorts of good news possible for
Jimmy to have brought back from the former headquarters
at the rear that, for a moment, his three chums did
not know what question to put next.

The war might be over, though until the Germans were
worse whipped than they then were there would be poor
satisfaction in that, reflected Roger.

It was Bob, however, who blurted out:

“Is Iggy all right?”

“You said it!” cried Jimmy, dancing around
“like a venerable ostrich,” as Bob said
afterward. “He isn’t all right, exactly,
for he’s pretty badly mussed up. But he’s
not going West, and if that isn’t good news
I don’t know what is!”

“That’s the best news you’ve given
us since you said the soup kitchens were on their
way the day after the big fight,” declared Schnitz.
“How much is he hurt?”

“Well, really not any at all, except for some
bad bruises, and he says they’ll be better in
a day or so. No internal injuries that the doctors
can find, and outside of the bruises and scratches—­and
he has them in plenty—­he’s as good
as any of us.”

“But how in the world did it happen?”
asked Bob. “Didn’t you see him with
his head all caved in and his spine broken?”

“Well, I thought I did,” admitted Jimmy.
“But the fact is that the blood on his face,
as I guess I told you before, came from a man who
was killed by a shell, right in front of Iggy.
And that numb feeling of his legs was because they
were both ‘asleep’. You know, when
you lie too long on your arm, or keep your leg in
a cramped position. He got all over that after
he’d been in bed a few hours.

“You see the stuff that caved in on him, after
the shell exploded, formed a sort of arch over his
head, and took the weight off his face. He’d
have been dead except for that. But he’s
practically all right, and will be back with us soon.
He’s crazy to see you fellows. I thought
he’d kiss me, the way some of the Frenchies do
when they get excited.”

“Well, we’ll go to see him as soon as
we get leave,” decided Bob.

“Don’t think I’m asking this because
of the money involved,” said Schnitz, a little
later, “though we all agree that it’s fine
and generous of you to have offered to whack up.
But did you hear anything of Sergeant Maxwell?”

“Not a word,” declared Jimmy, “nor
the missing five thousand francs, either. Both
have mysteriously disappeared.”

“What’s the official report on the serg.?”
asked Roger.

“Just missing—­that’s all,”
said Jimmy, simply. “I made inquiries about
him as soon as I had located Iggy in a hospital.
Sergeant Maxwell is down as missing. Of course,
there’s no report about my money. In fact,
we five, and the serg. himself, are the only ones who
know about it.”

“Missing,” mused Bob. “Does
it say without official leave, or anything like that?”

“No, it doesn’t,” went on the owner
of the five thousand francs. “He isn’t
classed as a deserter—­yet.”